It was 1980
and Marjorie “Midge” Rendell had just given
birth to her son, Jesse. As a partner at Duane Morris LLP, she
felt her responsibilities precluded her from taking more than
a month off from work. When childcare arrangements occasionally
broke down, Jesse would accompany her to the office,
where she tried to conceal his presence from clients. But it
wasn’t always easy. He would sometimes make a noise during a
conference call, and when clients inquired about the noise, she’d
respond that she was just clearing her throat.

“It wasn’t easy to admit that you had a child, it was considered
a sign of weakness” said Rendell, who is now a federal
judge. Clients and colleagues would question a woman’s dedication
to her career.

In her 35-year-long career as a bankruptcy lawyer and a
judge, the Honorable Marjorie Rendell has lived through what
she calls the “dark ages for women in the law.” During the keynote address at an event in April organized by the Penn Law Women’s Association, Rendell imparted lessons she had learned along the way on work, family
and civic engagement. Ms. Rendell is married to the governor of
Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell.

For the first five years of her career, Rendell was the only
woman practicing bankruptcy law in Philadelphia, and she had
to prove that she was just as tough as the men. Instead of adopting
an aggressive attitude, Rendell chose to establish herself with
intelligence and subtle humor. When her male colleagues would
call her honey, she would call them buster.

Despite the pervasive sexism, Rendell found an excellent
mentor, Dave Sykes, who made her success the “barometer of
his success,” she said. Often a client would not want to be represented
by a woman, but Sykes would push Rendell forward as
a competent, hardworking attorney. She advised students to find
colleagues who push them forward as a person who can get the
job done.

The skill set she picked up from her practice — litigation,
negotiation and a deep understanding of commercial matters--
turned out to be good preparation for her work as a judge,
she said. Today she plays a dual role: She is the First Lady of
Pennsylvania and a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Third Circuit.

The idea that you can have balance is a myth, said Rendell.
“As long as you know there isn’t balance, and that’s normal,
you can deal with it.” The secret to managing multiple responsibilities,
she said, is finding help. Rendell advised students to
surround themselves with their own support group.

She also encouraged students to complement a professional
career with nonprofit work, because it can feed a passion, make
one a better person, and prevent tunnel vision. “For lawyers it
makes good sense. I used to think it was a way to get business,
but it’s not about that. It’s about sharing your ideas and skill set
with other people,” she said.

Rendell said the three most important things in the legal
profession were the three C’s: civility, clarity and credibility. She
advised students to react to situations in a civil manner; to communicate
clearly with clients, partners and court members; and
build credibility every day through thoughtful interactions with
colleagues and clients.